Recently, multi-function peripherals, which are an example of an information processing apparatus including various wireless communication functions, are being provided with functions for pairing with mobile terminals, and multi-function peripherals that employ wireless LAN or Bluetooth (registered trademark), for example, as their wireless communication functions are known. For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2012-64030 discloses a print system that, through short-range wireless communication between a mobile terminal and a printer over Bluetooth, can print a desired file using a wireless printer even in the case where that printer is not configured in a network system.
In addition to controlling printing through wireless communication over Bluetooth, a function for having a mobile terminal request a multi-function peripheral to authenticate a user through Bluetooth communication and then allowing the user to log into the multi-function peripheral if the authentication succeeds can be considered as a function provided by a multi-function peripheral. Such a user authentication function that uses Bluetooth communication is called a “Bluetooth user authentication function”. When a user uses the mobile terminal and attempts to log into the multi-function peripheral using this Bluetooth user authentication function, a screen of the multi-function peripheral switches to a user authentication screen. In the event that the user authentication succeeds, the multi-function peripheral accepts print instructions and the like from the mobile terminal and executes processes such as printing.
Meanwhile, a multi-function peripheral normally can also authenticate users through a local user interface (local UI; LUI) such as a console or the like provided in the multi-function peripheral itself. A user authentication function that uses an LUI provided in the multi-function peripheral is called a “LUI user authentication function”. The screen of the multi-function peripheral also switches to a user authentication screen when authenticating a user through LUI user authentication.
If a request for the Bluetooth user authentication function is made from a mobile terminal while a user is already logged into the multi-function peripheral through the LUI user authentication function, the screen of the multi-function peripheral will switch to the user authentication screen. When such a situation arises, the screen being operated by the user who is already logged in will switch, which impedes the operations being made by the logged-in user. However, if operations made by a logged-in user are prioritized, other users will not be able to use a mobile terminal to carry out user authentication with the multi-function peripheral and use functions for printing or the like in the case where there is already a logged-in user.